U.S. Sway Clipped In Latin America

By

Nicholas Casey

February 7, 2012

MEXICO CITY—Washington has long seen Latin America as its "backyard," a region where American diplomats often interfered in local politics and even helped topple governments. But a raft of political disputes in Washington and the region have left many countries without a U.S. ambassador and weakened American clout.

This week, Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who is the ranking member of a Senate subcommittee that oversees the region, plans to hold a confirmation hearing Tuesday on a number of the posts and...